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I can highly recommend the British Music Experience, the new permanent exibition in the 02, London. I made some notes on the way round and I hope the following is at least partly accurate, although it was a bit dark, there was lots to see and I’m now struggling to read my scribble, so apologies for any mistakes.
It starts off with a five minute film preview of the exhibition, where they explain how to use the Smartcard – the ticket. Each time you pass an exhibit of particular interest, you can swipe it and all the information, including pictures, gets saved to a website which you can log into later. This turns out to be fantastic, because where you would normally expect to pay £5-£10 for a souvenir brochure of an exhibition, everything you swipe is available on your personal website later, and is included in the price of your ticket (£15).
Also, during this short film, they pan around the exhibition, showing you where everything is. I Love to Boogie plays, setting the mood for a great couple of hours
After the film, you pass into the Interactive Studio, where there are various guitars, drum-kits and keyboards. You put on headphones and play. All around the walls are various black and white pictures, the first was Led Zeppelin, and the second was a beautiful picture of Marc..... .. ..
Trad Jazz and Skiffle. Telstar was playing, then Apache. Various exhibits from The Yardbirds, Adam Faith, Joe Brown, Marty Wilde’s drape jacket, his Antonia electric guitar (which he used on Endless Sleep) and Billy Fury’s gold lame suit
The Beatles and The Byrds. Ringo’s grey jacket from the suits they wore on the cover of Hard Day’s Night, a sealed packet containing “the only authentic Beatle wig” (a joke), pictures of Stuart Sutcliffe, Dusty Springfield and The Animals. One showcase contained two dresses worn by Dusty, Sandy Shaw’s Puppet on a String dress and Cilla Black’s Ready Steady Go dress. Also in this section was The Yardbirds’ drum head and pictures of The Who
Jimi Hendrex, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd, Cream, The Kinks, Brian Epstein. Roundabout by Yes was playing. They had the handwritten lyrics to Jethro Tull’s Locomotive Breath, John Lennon’s glasses and the jumpsuit which Mick Jagger later wore on the 1972 US tour. On the wall was a moving picture of news items from the 70s – Neil Armstrong, Monty Python, The Yardbirds (Jim McCarthy speaking about them doing the music for Blow Up). As one of the interactive parts of the exhibition, you can click on the different sections and there was lovely picture of Marc sitting with the guitar arm pointing upwards, which I enlarged on the wall briefly. There was a jukebox in this room and I played Smoke on the Water, School’s Out and Oh Well
Suzi Quattro’s bass guitar and black leather jumpsuit (Can the Can playing in the background), Dave Hill’s silver cape and Superyob guitar (used on TOTP Merry Christmas Everybody), Marc’s Flying V guitar (“most notably used on TOTP Get it On”), Stars & Stripes jeans, Granny Takes a Trip jacket and white boa. The Slider album cover was above this, and the single of 20th Century boy on the T.Rex label with the cover. Security was very tight, but I managed to take a picture of this showcase (see my pictures), which also contained the red guitar and suit which Mick Tucker wore on TOTP Blockbuster. In this room, David Bowie had a showcase all to himself, mainly because he’d personally donated so many items, these included handwritten Fame lyrics and the lyrics to Five Years and the outfit he wore on the Diamond Dogs album cover and the Thin White Duke outfit. The suede fringed jacket which Roger Daltry wore at Woodstock was also here, with Jimmy Page’s appliquee jacket and snakeskin boots, Nick Mason’s drum kit with The Wall painted on it and about six pairs of Elton John’s outrageous glasses were also here. Also, Freddie Mercury’s white jacket (with strap fastenings across the chest) and trousers, which he wore on the 1986 Magic tour (the last tour Queen did with the original line up)
Items from the Sex Pistols, XTC and the Damned – they mentioned that the Damned were the first punk group to release a single in 1976. Also, items from the Specials and Madness. A showcase contained David Bowie’s Ashes to Ashes clown suit (the most expensive video released at that time) which was inspired by his mime teacher, Lindsay Kemp; Adam Ant’s King of the Wild Frontier suit (black with military style strap fastenings across the chest (which was originally worn by David Hemmings in Charge of the Light Brigade); Boy George’s patchwork oufit from the Colour by Numbers tour, Duran Duran’s blue silk suit and Spandau Ballet’s Schector guitar
Items from Saxon, Iron Maiden, Ozzy’s stage cape from the California Jam Festival 1974, Judas Priest, Lemmy’s boots, Joe Elliot’s Hysteria guitar, New Order, The Smiths, Happy Mondays and The Stone Roses. It was mentioned in this room that in 1988, the Rolling Stones ended years of rift and planned a world tour
Items from Blur, Oasis and Pulp. The Spice Girls’ outfits – Victoria’s bustier and leather trouser, Sporty’s track suit, Gerri’s Union Jack dress, Baby’s pink boxing robe and Scary’s leopard print catsuit – with boxed dolls wearing these outfits. Also, Amy Winehouse’s vintage dress, Duffy’s blue and white jacket, the Union Jack suit Annie Lennox wore to the Brit Awards and the red ballet shoes which featured in the Kate Bush ballet video, The Line, the Cross and the Curve.
In the gift shop was an original painting of the Electric Warrior album cover by Spud Murphy and Aubrey Powell– unframed price was £595. There were also various books, nothing on Marc, but some reprinted annuals, i.e. Cum on Feel the Noise. There was the book Landmarks of London and on page 39, there was a picture of the market stall in Rupert Street which Marc worked on for his Mum.
Within the exhibititon was a dance studio, where you can follow a video and chose from The Twist, Ska, Line-Dancing etc. etc. and this gets filmed and you can see it on the internet later from your swiped ticket
As you walk from room to room, videos are playing on the walls, and finally, there’s a room showing possible music of the future
All this took 2 ½ hours, then it’s all available to view again at home – great!